Support The Indie Chicks – Put an End to Body Shaming.

I use public showers regularly. It’s my way of life, I really don’t have a choice.

The more I shower at the marina, the more I encounter women who hide in their shower stall to change.

Just this morning, the woman in the shower next to me preferred wrapping herself in the disgusting shower curtain to grab her clothes to change, than to expose herself. Trust me, our shower curtains are nasty. I want to scrub my hands with antibacterial wash every time I touch one of them! And this is not the first time a woman wraps this thing around her naked body. [insert grossed-out face] That’s how far some will go to remain hidden, and unseen. Does this come from a sense of shame?

When I was in Jr High, I had my first encounter with having to change in front of other girls. Yes, I’d been at public pools but we always just happily rode our bikes home with our suits under our shorts. It wasn’t until Jr High gym class where I had no other choice than to change in front of my classmates. Only a certain few hid in the limited stalls to change in private. The “it” girls walked around with nothing but their bras and panties teasing each other. I wanted to fit in. I was nervous about my cherries in my bra, when most other girls were fully developed as I was a late bloomer… They actually taught me to be comfortable in my skin by putting me at ease and telling me I had a cute bra.

I was lucky they didn’t tease me for my body’s differences. Lucky to not have been ridiculed and laughed at for not being up to par. Not all women are so lucky, many are put to shame for being different. Put to shame to such an extent, they never take pride in their bodies. And they hide in shame.

Being comfortable in one’s own skin is not given to every woman.

I’m not saying to start stripping and doing the pole dance every time you walk by a stop sign, although that kind of stuff needs to be shared with me because I think it would be something awesome to see. Women need to be confident about their bodies, about themselves. To be confident, we need to feel beautiful, no matter our flaws, and because of our flaws…

The Indie Chicks is not only a great website, it’s also a fantastic publication with now its second edition to hit the shelves. The content is all about celebrating women for who they are, as they are, and to shine in their ultimate badassery. Although we all know how superior The Indie Chicks is to other women’s magazines, they may not stay on the shelves. They’re struggling, and they need your help.

Please visit their IndieGogo campaign, and let the world know you are an indie chick/dick at heart. And then look in a mirror, and tell yourself “I love you.”

I hear ya, not that I’ve had kids myself, but a friend told me how everything does change – just the act of giving birth alone, and all the shit that happens in front of an audience. Nothing could ever top that. I’m still in shock though of the women who hide. It’s mind boggling and baffling.

Great post, Marie! I was one of those embarrassed girls in middle school and was a skinny Minnie back then. It’s funny you mention this subject, because just the other day I subconsciously picked a space away from everyone else to change in the gym locker room. The body shaming stays with us, doesn’t it?

It does, and it doesn’t do us any good on our confidence. When we hide, we’re obviously not feeling good about ourselves… And you? You’re beautiful, you have everything to be so confident about yourself!

I had an egg today & was laying there too naked when the nurse asked if I had implants. No. All me. Then she said “Girl, they are beautiful!” It didn’t weird me out. It made me happy. Perhaps if more women complimented EACH OTHER we’d have less of a complex.

This is hilarious! I was wondering what you meant by having an egg, I ate eggs today too! And you’re right, we need to compliment each other a lot more. And stop it with all this “real women” nonsense…

About

Once a race car mechanic and roller derby chick now a leadership coach, Marie is unapologetically happy and funky. Her zest for work and life are intrinsically linked. Work or play, she’s a blast to be around. Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows follow her everywhere; it’s no surprise she dreams of running away with the circus and has been writing about her vida loca since 2010 on my cyber house rules.